Dough-proving apparatus



L. EMBREY.

DOUGH PROVINS APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 3. 191s.

L. EMBREY. DouGH PBovING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3| 191B.

`menmi Mar. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. EMBREY.

DOUGH PROVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.3.191s.

1,334,025. Patented Mm. 16,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. STATES OFFICE- 7 LAURENCE Birnen?, or suivrontENGLAND.v

,y Dorien-raovmo APPARATUS.'

1,334,025'. iv f i fv-.Toall whom it may concer-n.:- l

Beit known that I, LAURENCE EMBREY, a'subject ofthe King of'GreatBritain'and Ireland, residing :at Fenton, Staffordshire, England, have-invented'cei-'tain new and use- .,.fful Improvements inDough-Provingi-ipparatus, lofwhich thev following is a' speci-l ication.

lnw specification', Serial No'. 178,973, l have described apparatus forworking pieces v :,-or clots of fermented dough preparatory to bakinginto "loaves of Qbre'ad, andxaccording to 'which' theclots of'dough arefirst molded by ceiling to produce tensioned clots which wither' withoutshaping are passed through a prever so that the dough may be subjectedtoa period of lproof before baking or ifv desired before lbeingsubjected to 'a' second molding operation followed by 'a second periodof proof.

, find that it .is sometimes vdesirable .that

when repeated molding and proving opera v lthe period of proof followingthe first molding operation may be much shorter than the period of proofvfollowing the second molding operation. z

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus similarprinciple to that described in the aforesaid specification but whichwill permit of the periods of proof of different length, and with thisobject in view the proving apparatus or so called prover is providedwith a plurality of distinct conveyers which may be of different length.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2 and 3 are, respectively, `afront eleva-tion, plan and side elevation of a prover having two endlessconveyers, the conveyers being omitted in Fig'. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end sectional elevation of details connected with the twotracks.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the upper tracks for the short circuit conveyer, and

Fig. 6 is a plan of the lower tracks for the long circuit conveyer.

In the apparatus illustrated a casing 1 is provided with two sets oftracks, 2, 3. for two distinct endless conveyers 4c and 5 of the kinddescribed in specification Serial No. 178,975. The upper set of tracks 2has a comparatively shorter circuit than the lower set. The two sets oftracks have elevated vSpecification of Letters Patent.v

looped portions 6 and 7 for the delivery the dough, and the top of thecasing 1 is prof form the loops are preferably brought out p 1' ofthecasing parallelandclose to one 'another at the rear ofthe top ofthecasing as' shown in Fig. 2 so as to leave space available in front formolding machines 10, 12,

and shaping machines 11, 13, and the necesl` sary feeding bands.

For convenience of construction the tracks are preferably made of `angleIiron, and, in

to vascend toward the elevatedlooped portions, brackets 14, 15, carryingsteel guide rollers 16, 17, are provided, above the tracks, to` hold andguide the conveyer elements or carriers 18, 19, thereon. The carriers18, 19', etc., are connected to the chain by pins 50, thus permittingsome movement between the carriers and the chain as the chain turnscorners and goes around rollers.

The lower or long-circuit tracks may coinprise two sets of zigzag orspiral tracks, as described in specification Serial No. 178,97 5, theconveyor passing first around .one set and then across-to and around theother. The upper or short circuit tracks 2 mayV simply`l consist of twoportions, one consisting of the elevated or looped portion 6 for whichside of this track special pulleys or chain wheels 20 are provided onshafts 21. The pulleys or chain wheels 22'for the other side of theupper track may be on the saine shafts 23, as the pulleys 24 for theforward` set of the lower or long circuit track. The various verticalshafts 21, 23, 25, for the pulleys 20, 22, 24;, 26, are preferablycarried in bearings 27, 28, 29, which are formed on plates 30, extendingfrom front to rear of the casing 1. Each plate 30 may thus be utilizedto carry bearings for three vertical shafts. The lower plates 30 havingthe step bearings 27, 28, 29, may be castings while the upper plates 30may be of mild steel.

The chain wheels or pulleys 31, 32, for the elevated looped portions ofthe two tracks may be itted on the same shaft 33, which may be driven atthe required speed through spur gearing 34, 35, olf a driving shaft 36,fitted with a stepped driving pulley 37 by which the speed may bechanged. The chain wheel shaft 33 may PatentedMalu 176, 1920.

Applicatiemled October 3, 1918. Serial'No.- 256,701.

have an additional chain wheel or pulley 38 for driving the verticalshafts for the conveyers, the driving chain or cable 39 pass- Y ing downaround guide' pulleys 40, 4l, and thence around chain wheels orpulleys'lQ, on the lower ends of the vertical shafts 23 25.. y

ik proving apparatus as above vdescribed may have one, two, or morelmolding and Y roller-shaping machines mounted on the top of the casingland suitable conveyer bands may be provided so that theV clots orpieces I of dough pass iirst through one'molder, or

'fone melder and'sliaper, and through the one circuit of the prover, andthen through the second melder and shaper and through the other circuitof the prever, from which it may be delivered and passed either directn.inte tins, pans vor .the like, orto anotherv molde'r and shapingmachine, or to a shaping machine,according to the'type of loaf required.Y

`Wlieii more than two conveyers Vare ref yquired a suitable number 'of'sets of pulleys similar to 20, 22, and tracks are provided, the pulleys(20) for the additional conveyers being arranged at suitably higherlevels and so that the said conveyers clear `the shafts 21 in asimilarmanner to that in adapted to permit of relative movement between saidcarriers and chain and two sets of tracks for guiding said carriers,each set of tracks having an elevated looped portion for inverting saidcarriers for discharging the'dough, whereby two complete and independentcircuits are provided for the proving of dough, substantially ashereinbefore set, forth. i Y

2. A prover for dough comprising, a casing, two endless conveyers withinsaid casing, said conveyers consisting of endless chains of differentlength and carriers,

mounted on said chains, and two sets of tracks for guiding said carrierswhereby two independent proving circuits for the dough are formed, onebeing a much shorter circuit than the other, the tracks for the longer[of 1 said circuits being of ysubstantially spiral forni,substantially'as and for the purpose 1 hereinbefore set forth.

SQA prover for dough comprising, a casmg, two endless conveyers withinsaid casing, said conveyers consisting of endless chains of differentlength and carriers 'mounted on said chains, and two sets of tracks forguiding saidl carriers whereby two vindependent proving circuits for thedough are formed, one being a much shorter circuit than the other, thetracks for the longerof said circuits being of substantially spiralform, and means Vfor driving the `chains of said conveyers,substantially as liereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed vmy name to this specication in thetwo subscribing witnesses.

LAURENCE EMBREY.. i Witnesses:

MINNIE BERGH, Pii'rrrm PLANT.

presence of

